Broken Boundaries
by Badge 825
Summary: Maura has offended Jane. Will she be able to resolve the situation before she loses Jane's friendship and any possibilities of a relationship? K for now.
1. Chapter 1

**BOKEN BOUNDARIES Ch. 1**

**This is new territory for me, and I feel like I'm shaky ground. I usually don't open a story with Maura because she's more difficult for me to write. Please let me know if I should scrap it or continue. Thanks!**

Maura struggled to unravel the situation that lay before her. It was clear that Jane was unhappy with her, but she failed to grasp why. It wasn't for a lack of trying, she simply couldn't understand Jane's outrage over something she herself deemed trivial, but that was often the case with them. Frequently, they encountered situations that elicited strong visceral reactions from Jane, but left Maura completely non-responsive. The M.E. took a sip of her coffee and absently placed the cup down on the glass coaster next to her favorite paperweight. She then tried to distract herself by reorganizing the files on her computer, but it did little to take her mind off of her latest disagreement with the detective.

Maura rested her hand on her cheek and was racking her brain when Frankie passed her office. His shoulders slumped and a sheepish look plastered his face. She immediately realized Jane had confided in him about her transgression because he was unable to make eye contact with her. He snorted as he glanced at the doctor remembering why Jane dubbed the whole thing "Boundarygate." He blushed slightly as Maura gestured toward him.

"Frankie, may I see you for a moment?"

Groaning internally he responded, "Uh…I have to…uh...umm." He looked at the Dr.'s crestfallen expression and finally answered with a less than enthusiastic. "Yeah sure."

"Jane isn't speaking to me. She's angry with me about what happened, and I was hoping you could clarify the situation. I fail to see why what may be a minor incident at best has upset Jane so much."

Frankie raised both of his eyebrows. "Well, uh…. no offense, but considering the circumstances and the feelings involved, if I were Jane, I'd be upset too. You just gotta give her some time. She'll come around."

"The feelings?"

"Yeah, you know Jane really, she uh, cares about you."

"I really like her too; she's my best friend, but why was what happened so offensive?"

Frankie started to sweat; the gravity of the situation really escaped her, and he had no desire to be the one to spell it out for her. "Maura, maybe you should you know, wait a couple of days and talk to Jane about it. I don't think I can explain it." With that he nearly slid on the floor scrambling from the M.E.'s office.

Maura had had enough. She couldn't bear getting the cold shoulder from Jane, nor could she stand Frankie's evasiveness. She marched up to the squad room to put an end to what she decidedly felt like was torture.

When she stepped off the elevator, the bullpen was in total chaos. There were uniformed and plain-clothes officers rushing about the room, answering phones and narrowly escaping running into one another. Jane was at her desk with a look of utter displeasure on her face. Her brows were knitted together and she definitely wore a scowl that tightly drew the corners of her mouth.

"Jane, what's going on?"

"Not know Maura; some jerk started firing a gun from a parked car on Grove Street. I'm waiting to hear if there were any casualties."

A look of concern washed over the doctor's face as she twisted the ring she wore on her left hand. She waited patiently for Jane to say something, or at least look at her. Whether it was more information on the shootings, an invitation to stay, or an offer to talk later, Maura needed to have Jane address her in some manner. Instead, the detective stared at her phone as if her glare could induce it to ring. The lack of attention deflated and worried Maura; she feared a panic attack would consume her right there in front of Jane and at least a dozen other co-workers.

The doctor swallowed hard, and silently returned to the morgue when it was clear Jane had nothing more to say. If there were casualties, and she was needed, Dispatcher Lewis would call her. Now, she wanted to be alone to collect her emotions. When she went upstairs, she was determined to resolve the situation, but now, Dr. Maura Isles was barely able to control her own breathing.

"Damn it." She cursed under her breath, and disappeared down the long corridor into autopsy suite one and made her way toward the cooler. She pulled out the drawer of a John Doe from the previous day. The cool steel handle refreshing her clammy hand, she looked down at the young man and thought, "sometimes I wonder if it's better to be anonymous?" She closed the drawer and returned to her office.


	2. Chapter 2

**BROKEN BOUNDARIES CH. 2**

**Thank you for your encouraging reviews. I hope that I don't disappoint.**

The next three days passed uneventfully. Jane worked on old case files, and did her best vanishing act whenever Maura was near. She knew it was an immature response, but she feared her anger would get the best of her if they were to speak. Neither she nor Dr. Isles were called out on any cases, and Jane was grateful for that. She took a swig of cold coffee from a cup that had been sitting on her desk for hours. She scowled as she tossed the cup away, and thought about asking her best friend to accompany her to get a fresh one. Then she remembered, "Oh yeah, I'm mad at her." She missed the hazel-eyed doctor, but her disappointment in her friend spoke louder than her desire to see her.

She grabbed her jacket and walked to the Javaery to get some caffeine courage before diving into the remaining piles stacked a foot high on her desk. She tousled her thick curls back as she thought, "Damn it. Why did Maura have to do that? I've been supportive and patient every time she's had to dump some loser. I've been the shoulder she's cried on; I've been the one to hold her hand through all the bullshit, and she goes and does that to me? Fuck it."

Jane walked a few more feet before answering her own question and raising a few more. "She did it because you're best friends, and she didn't think you'd mind. She did it because she had no clue that it would hurt you. She did it because she doesn't know how you feel, and you're angry with her because you're too chicken shit to tell her you're madly in love with her. Grow a pair Rizzoli."

Jane got her coffee and sipped it as she sat on the bench across the street from the department. She continued to argue with herself and question her motives. She rationalized that Maura had violated a trust. The detective looked down at the scar in her right palm and methodically rubbed it with the fingers of her left hand. She knew she was fooling herself, and it had more to do with her jealousy and inability to act and communicate than with Maura violating any pact real or imagined between them.

She rose from the bench, jammed her hands into her jacket pockets, and slowly made the trek back to her desk. She opened the top drawer to retrieve a pen and found a brown gift box inside. She carefully ran her fingers over the shiny box and admired the perfectly tied bow as she opened it. It contained the spare apartment key that she had given Maura and a note. She self-consciously looked around the deserted bullpen before reading it.

_Dear Jane, _

_I know you're upset with me, and based on our lack of interaction, I'm not sure when and if you'll want to resume our friendship. I'm sorry for having offended you, and please know that that was never my intention. I did what I did because you're my best friend, and you think I should not have done what I did because you're my best friend. The key is the crux of the matter; therefore I am returning it to you. If and when you're ready, I would be happy to further discuss the issue. Even if you never want me to _have_ a copy of your key again, or be your best friend, I would not hesitate to remain at least friendly—though I'd prefer to regain your trust._

_Always,_

_M.I_.

Jane held the key and stared at it. She turned it every which way, examining it as if it held all the answers to her current dilemma. She felt it was a tangible representation of what her anger, and jealousy could result in, and she wasn't prepared to deal with that particular loss. She squeezed the key in her palm and then tucked it and the note into her inside jacket pocket before heading down to the morgue to put an end to this self inflicted torture.

Jane pushed the down button on the elevator several times as she tapped her foot waiting for the car that would bring her to the morgue. She stepped on and cracked her neck as she steeled herself for the conversation. Much to her disappointment, the basement was dark and empty. All she could her was the steady hum of the air conditioning unit. She bit her lip and reached for the phone clipped to her belt. She speed dialed entry number two, and it immediately went to voicemail.

"Shit." Jane replaced her phone. If she wanted resolution, she would have to go to Maura's house. She defiantly pushed through the doors and headed toward the parking garage.


	3. Chapter 3

**BROKEN BOUNDARIES CH. 3**

**Thank you all so much for your interest. I hope the build up and the suspense was worth it. This is for all my fellow shippers who are so frustrated with the "will they" or "won't they."**

Jane arrived at Maura's home and was relieved to find the other woman's car parked in the driveway. She was even more relieved that her mother's wasn't. The detective rested her forehead against the steering wheel and tried to control her uneven breathing. There was still anger bubbling just under her skin, but she knew it had to be reigned in. Her body reflected how overwrought her mind was as she clumsily exited her car and quietly shut the door. She wanted to remain undetected should she change her mind and decide to go home, or to The Robber, or the park, or anywhere but where the object of her desire and frustration resided.

Jane inhaled deeply as she firmly rapped on the door. It opened quickly and Jane's breath hitched. They hadn't been in such close proximity in a private place for several days. Jane allowed her eyes to sweep over Maura's tight fitting yoga pants and black t-shirt. The doctor swallowed hard before speaking.

She opened the door wider, and very formally asked, "Would you like to come in?"

Jane didn't answer. She simply crossed the threshold and took a seat on Maura's couch. Her left hard was hanging over the armrest, and her right had sat awkwardly on her thigh.

"Would you like something to drink?"

Jane nodded. "Water please."

Maura's hand shook as she filled the glass. She fought to maintain her composure though she feared Jane was there to formally end their friendship. She carefully handed Jane the glass, making sure none spilled over the lip.

"Maur, we need to talk."

"I know Jane." Maura ran the tip of her index finger over the top of Jane's left hand.

Jane looked up at Maura whose features revealed that she probably hadn't slept in days.

"You violated my trust Maura." Jane, overwhelmed, was slipping back into denial.

"How Jane? When you gave me that key, there were no strings attached."

Jane felt her nerves jingle. She stood and ran her hand through her hair. Her tone was sharp, and anger burned in her eyes. "No Maura; I didn't lay down any ground rules, but I sure as fuck didn't give you the key to my apartment so you could almost bang the cock of the week in my bed!"

Now it was Maura's turn for her anger to show. "Jane, you were supposed to be away for the weekend, I didn't think you would be home early, and your apartment was closer than my home! It seemed like the logical thing to do."

"Really Maura? Logical? Oh, what the fuck was I thinking? Of course that makes it all right. What was the problem? Couldn't Jack maintain it long enough to get to your house? Or is it supposed to be OK because you were gonna wash the sheets after. Are you sorry you did it, or are you sorry because I caught you?"

"It's Jake not Jack."

Jane was about to lose it. Her hands were flailing about and she was pacing the floor hard enough to cut a groove in it. She shouted forcefully enough to nearly lose her voice. "You're not serious are you? I don't give a shit if it's Joe, Jake, John, or any other fucking J name you can think of. The point is you were going to screw some guy in my bed with no regard for the fact that I am hopelessly…Jesus Maura." Jane lowered her head and shook it. "Forget it."

Maura took two long strides toward her friend. She reached for Jane's arm, and Jane yanked it away.

"Jane, this has nothing to do with trust, and boundaries does it?" Maura was sure that Jane was either attracted to her or jealous of her social life. She was skilled at suppressing her facial cues, and the M.E. couldn't quite put her finger on which emotion crossed Jane's face at any given moment.

Jane resumed her angry pacing. "No Maura; it doesn't. What the hell has been up with you lately? It's like every week there's a different guy in your bed, and…I just can't. GOD DAMN IT."

Maura felt herself bristle. She angrily asked, "Are you judging me? If you are you should leave."

Jane yelled back. "I'm not judging you. I'm…I'm." The tall detective aggressively reached for Maura's arm and pulled her close. Her hands immediately wove into the reddish brown mane and their lips crashed together hotly. For several minutes they stood in Maura's living room as hands explored, scratched, and sought out flesh as mouths traversed and hungrily consumed any and all exposed flesh.

Maura felt a streak of heat that started low in her belly and rose to her chest creating a vibrant red hue just below her neck. Jane moaned into the mouth that she desperately explored while tightening her grip around Maura, forcing the flat planes of their abdomens to join together. An impossible heat settled between them, and Maura was the first to push away.

She could barely breathe. "Jane, why? Why didn't you just say something to me?"

"I didn't think you wanted me. You've always got dates with these rich, high on the hog guys. Why would you be interested in a beat up, stubborn, Italian female cop?"

"I'd be interested because that beat up, stubborn, Italian female cop is Jane Rizzoli. The single most important person in my life, my best friend, my rock, the woman who has saved my life, and showed me so many things I'd probably never see without her. I'd be interested because she's enriched my existence and broadened my world. I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I didn't intend to. You've hurt yourself more by selling yourself short. You are the most wonderful person I've met, and you're just going to have to accept that you (Maura ran her finger from Jane's throat down to the first button of her shirt) are (the finger slipped to the space barely above Jane's cleavage) an amazing individual. The finger stopped between Jane's breasts.

Maura stood on her tippy toes and kissed Jane lightly on the lips. A lump formed in Jane's throat. She leaned down and nuzzled Maura's neck, and nipped and the thin skin there. "Thank you." While still kissing Maura's neck Jane reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled the key out.

She clasped it in her hand and returned to her full height.

Maura reached out and rubbed the taller woman's shoulder lightly. "Have I regained your trust?"

Jane removed the hand that was rubbing her shoulder and pressed the key into Maura's palm. "You really never lost it."

Maura closed her hand around the key and rested her head on Jane's shoulder as she squeezed her tightly.


	4. Chapter 4

**I usually don't add chapter to completed stories, but there is a first time for everything. This is the final installment. Enjoy. This one is for you Vargas1989.**

"You didn't lose it Maura, but you did make me question it. You've seen a lot of guys lately; you weren't acting like….well like Maura."

Jane looked at Maura with sadness and guilt in her eyes. Ever since she had shot herself, Maura had been dating one inappropriate man after another. The term dating being used very loosely thought Jane. Her mind flashed back to all of the men who Maura more often slept with than dated. There was Yucky Slucky, Ian, Seth from the furniture store, Brett from the firehouse, and nearly Giovanni. She was concerned that her shooting herself had somehow contributed to Maura's sexual expressions.

Maura's shoulders slumped as she washed the emotions wash over Jane. Finally her guard was down, and Maura could see every emotion that tore at Jane. There was confusion, loss, fear, and sadness. The doctor reached for her the detective's hand and led her to her oversized couch,

"Come here." Maura sat down and pulled Jane down to the adjacent cushion. "I owe you an explanation."

Jane shrugged and winced at her own discomfort. If she could, she climb out of her own body and abandon it like a discarded corn husk. "No Maura. Really, we don't have to."

"Shhhh." Maura wrapped her arm around Jane's waist, pulling her even closer. "If we don't deal with this, it's going to continue to gnaw at you, and it will make things difficult for us."

Jane rested her head on Maura's shoulder, she yawned from exhaustion, and reached for Maura's hand. "I'm listening."

"Though some studies suggest that promiscuity is a throwback from our hunter gatherer relatives trying to guarantee their survival, it's often associated with extreme physical or emotional trauma."

Jane snuggled in as if Maura were about to tell her a bedtime story, albeit a long convoluted bedtime story.

"When you shot yourself, I experienced both. I was held captive, and witnessed you shoot yourself. When the dust settled, I still felt numb, dark, empty. There was a disconnect between you and I." Maura paused expecting Jane to leap up and argue with her. Jane simply squeezed Maura's hand tighter.

"I was closer to you Jane than anyone else, but you were dealing with your own emotions surrounding the events, and each time, please understand that I am not blaming you, each time I tried to get close to you again, you pushed me away."

Jane felt a lone tear splash on to her hand. She sat up and brushed Maura's hair out of her eyes. "Maura." Jane's voice was husky. "I'm sorry. I never meant to make you feel that. I was so angry afterwards; I lashed out at everyone and everything." Jane swallowed hard.

"You can't make me feel any of those things. We were both suffering emotionally for a long time. I wanted to feel alive, connected to this world, but I couldn't go to you with this burden. I falsely thought that having casual sex could make up for what I lacked, and you blew your disability checks buying useless items on the Home Shopping Network."

Jane smiled at Maura, and playfully slapped her arm. "They're not all useless. I'm sure that heated bra will come in handy on really cold days, and who doesn't need a USB hamster wheel?"

Maura laughed. "What's important is that we are back to ourselves now." She leaned over and kissed Jane on the lips while still talking. "No more pole dancer alarm clocks, and sleeping with every Tom, Dick, and Harry."

Jane pulled back. "How about sleeping with Jane?"

"You mean Jane from the bookstore on Park Street? I don't know, she hardly seems my type."

Jane silenced her with a finger to her lips. "No sleeping with this Jane, and just this Jane."

The detective pressed her lips to Maura's once again. Without breaking the kiss, Maura managed to straddle Jane's hips. She sat slightly suspended above the detective with her knees bent before crashing down on her lap.

Their kisses were long, hungry, deep, and sensual. Maura felt as if she were melting into the couch, melting into to the body beneath her. Jane's hand reached around to caress her back and Maura sucked din a deep breath. As the warm palm and long fingers settled into the center of her shoulder blades, Maura felt as if the hand were melding with her skin.

Jane ran her free hand through Maura's thick hair, and when Maura's tongue wisped over Jane's bottom lip, a surge of adrenalin hit her chest and shot down to her abdomen. She drew Maura in tighter and kissed her harder forcing Maura to open her mouth. Her tongue tasted sweetness and warmth. Eventually Maura led Jane to the bedroom, and they kissed for hours, only pausing for air and sips of water.

The next morning, light peered into the bedroom window and drew a streak against their partially clothed bodies. The were lying snuggled closely together, arms and legs twined together like the strands of some perfect mathematical equation.


End file.
